Scottish Kail-bell
From
time immemorial, one of the town bells has been daily rung,
at a certain hour, on every lawful day ex-
cept Saturday, to remind the good citizens of Edinburgh to
repair to dinner, lest they should be apt to forget this
necessary part of the work of the day or perhaps to give a
hint to customers, who might be so indiscreet as to pro long
their shopping at a very unreasonable able time. It was familiarly
known as the Kail-bell ; and at its summons
about a century ago shops were almost all closed from one
to two o’clock. “In 1763, it was a common practice
to lock the shops at one o’clock, and to open
them alter dinner at two. “
Tinkle-swoetie,”
or the ‘‘aucht bours’ hell,” was the
name given to the bell which rang at eight o’clock in
the
evening, to call attention to the hour for closing the shops.
This bell was so denominated because the sound of it was supposed
to be sweet to the ears of the shoprnen and apprentices, as
it set them at liberty to close for the night.
Return
To Scottish Trivia
